


The Mummy

by jessica988



Category: Frozen (2013), Kristanna - Fandom
Genre: Eventual Anna and Kristoff, F/M, Kristanna, Kristoff/Anna - Freeform, Mummies, Violence, cursing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2018-08-15 02:52:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8039599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessica988/pseuds/jessica988
Summary: Hamunaptra. A place filled with history, legends and mystery. A place Anna Arendelle had only dreamed of finding since she was a little girl. When it seems faith supplies her with the opportunity to find this hidden city, she jumps head first at the chance to find it. But a revengeful mummy, an apocalyptic curse, a deadly adventure (and possibly love) where not exactly on her list of things to discover.





	1. Prologue

Thebes – 2,134 BC

Thebes. City of the Living.

Crown jewel of Pharaoh Seti the First.

Home of Hans, High Priest of Osiris, Keeper of the Dead.

Birthplace of Anck-su-namun. The Pharaoh’s Mistress. 

No other man was allowed to touch her.

However, under the Pharaoh’s own nose, his Mistress and the High Priest found love with one another.

Secretly, forbiddingly, they met. Keeping the knowledge of their love between themselves and the Priests of Osiris.

If they were ever to be caught, they would both be doomed to the Pharaoh’s wrath.

 

But for their love, they were willing to risk life itself. 

On one of these forbidden meetings, they had decided to meet in the outer foyer; away from prying eyes.

What they did not know was the Pharaoh himself had spied his Mistress wandering the halls, painted from head to toe in her usual gold and black paint. Designs carefully painted across her body, nothing covering her except for a small cloth and the heavy set jewels on her neck and head.

Filled with curiosity, the Pharaoh soon followed her, finding himself in front a slowly closing door leading to the outer foyer. 

Pushing the doors open, he found not his mistress but the Priests of Osiris.

“What are you doing here?” He exclaimed, anger slowly rising within him.

They said nothing, merely bowing to him, backing slowly away from him as he strides towards the curtains that blocked the view to the balcony. 

Behind the curtains he finds his Mistress, eyes casted down, leaning against the large golden statue of a dog, avoiding his gaze.

He takes her in, anger beginning to disappear till he spots it.

Her beautiful paint is smeared, greatly, down her arm.

“WHO HAS TOUCHED YOU?!” He demands. She looks at him, confused, then to where he points. There is a flash of fear, but she looks to him with a face of strange calmness. 

The sound of a sword being unsheathed makes the Pharaoh turn. Unexpectedly finding himself facing his own High Priest. 

He is confused, “Hans…My priest?”

Distracted, and unaware, Anck-su-namun raises a dagger and plunges it into the Pharaoh’s back.

He screams in agony, in fear, as the Priest raises the Pharaoh’s own sword and brings it down onto its’ owner’s body.

The Priests ignore the screams and scramble to close the door, hoping to silence the commotion as best they can.

With the doors now close, they turn to the balcony, watching as the once Pharaoh screams in pain blow after blow. One final scream comes from the once great leader, a gentle thud is heard, until there is nothing but silence.

But then, within the sudden peace, a loud BANG comes from the door.

The two lovers stare at one another, unsure of what they should do as another loud BANG shakes the room. 

Another BANG and the Priests run to their High Priest, grabbing him and preparing to take him away.

“No! Get off me!”

“But the Pharaoh’s guard’s sir!”

“I do not care! Let them come!

“You must go!” He freezes as his lover speaks, “Save yourself! Only you can resurrect me.”

Hans’ face falls, her eyes looking to him with hope though he is filled with despair as with one final BANG the doors fall.

Quickly, and reluctantly, he goes to the balcony to hide. The Medjai burst through the curtains just as he disappears in the darkness outside. There is a slight pause before he hears her speak,

“My body is no longer his temple!”

He does not need to see what happens next, for he knows that the dagger has disappeared into her own body; taking her away from this place and into the next. 

\--

He cannot show emotion here.

Not in the open. Not where they can see. Not where the Medjai are keeping watchful eye.

He only knew her in passing, they believe, nothing more.

They do not know what they did. They do not know their secrets.

They do not know their plan. 

He follows them across the dunes, eyes her body as they travel, watching as if it would disappear if he would to look away.

It is nearly dusk when they begin to lower her body into the sand. The slaves are slow, gentle, either not knowing or simply not caring what she has done. She is still a human whose soul must rest. 

It takes too long he thinks.

Finally, the jars are placed down with her, the Medjai begin to leave and it is then he makes his move.

It is then the paid soldiers get rid of the slaves, quickly so they do not suffer.

It is then the soldiers help remove her body from below.

It is then his own Priests’ let the soldier’s then greet death.

It is then, with the final Medjai disappearing in the distance across the sand, that they take off across the desert once more.

It is then their plan goes into play

\--

They race across the desert to the Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead, the ancient burial site for the sons of Pharaohs and the resting place for the wealthy of Egypt.

They make their way through the city quietly, finding their way to the tombs in complete darkness as to not bring attention to themselves. What he seeks lies far beneath this holy city, something that would do nothing more than anger the Gods he so strongly worshipped.

For his love, Hans dared the Gods’ anger by going deep into the tombs, where he took the great black book, the Book of the Dead, from its holy resting place. 

For her deed Anck-su-namun’s soul had been sent to the dark underworld, left to suffer in the afterlife as her vital organs removed and placed into 5 sacred jars.

He places her gently on the large stone table, placing her hands across the large wound. It is as though she is simply asleep, if not for the cold that has overcome her body. He places the jars around her with care, placing her heart last in front of him. He eyes it for a moment, smirking at a long forgotten conversation in which she had declared her heart to be truly his.

The moment fades, the smirk falls, and he sets to work.

The ritual begins, the Priests surrounding the Mistress’ body, chanting together as Hans reads from the book. Hans reads each line carefully, articulately, pronouncing every word clearly and as loudly as possible. 

He will not make a mistake. He will do this perfectly. 

He pauses, hands hovering above her body as the Priests continue to chant.

There is a brief moment and then a large breath is taken.

Anck-su-namun’s eyes shoot open as her soul returns to her body, as the High Priest had hoped. He smiles, containing his excitement as best he can. All that is left is to return her organs to their proper place and she would be whole once more. 

They would be together once more, as it should be, as it always will be.

Raising the dagger above his lover’s chest, Hans prepared to plunge it into where her heart once rested; the first step in bringing her back to him.

He takes a deep breath, readying himself, and then it all ends.

Unbeknownst to him and his Priests, the darkness was not as great of a friend as they had hoped; the Medjai easily able to follow them.

The men surround them, stopping the ritual. For a moment, there is a glimmer of hope, Hans thinks, he can escape again, save her, bring her back once more.

But then one wrong move, one swift move of a Medjai’s elbow, and the jar containing Anck-su-namun’s heart falls and shatters. Her body goes limp once more, her soul returning back to the dark underworld, the ritual now as broken as the jar.

Without her heart, bringing her back was now a near impossible task.

He fights, he screams, he is desperate to save her, to bring her back. But the Magi are too strong and as he is dragged back up the stairs, his lover’s body resting peacefully still on the table, he realizes he has lost.

His Priests were condemned to be mummified alive. The people of the city would speak of the screams that came from the dark chambers for days to come. Blood curdling and agonizing screams as the men went through the horrid process, haunting the dreams of all that lived in the city. 

As for Hans, he was condemned to endure the Hom-Dai, the worst of all ancient curses.

One so horrible, it had never before been bestowed on any victim.

Tongue removed, wrapped alive, buried along with many flesh-eating scarabs that would be his only company, he was to remain sealed inside his stone sarcophagus—to be the undead for all eternity.

The Medjai would never allow him to be released, for if he would arise, he would be a walking disease: a plague upon mankind. An unholy flesh eater with the strength of ages, power over the sands, and the glory of the invincibility.

For 3,000 years, men and armies fought over this land, never knowing what evil lay beneath it. Never truly knowing the darkness that lied beneath the sands.

And for 3,000 years, we, the Medjai, the descendants of the Pharaoh’s sacred bodyguards, kept watch.


	2. Chapter 1

The Sahara – 1925

This was not at all what Kristoff had in mind when he had joined the French Foreign Legion.

In truth, he had not really wanted to join in the first place. It had been done on a drunken dare thanks to what he thought were his “buddies” telling him he should to impress some brunette he had found at the bar. 

He doesn’t remember telling them he would if someone bought him another round of whiskey (his forever weakness). He doesn’t remember getting the said next round and taking it back with ease. He doesn’t remember telling the brunette, well mumbling to her, that he would be back and to “wait for me, I have a duty I must do.” He doesn’t remember stumbling to the recruiting office. He doesn’t remember signing the papers, signing his life over to the Legion, being congratulated by his buddies and the man at the desk. 

He does, however, remember feeling nothing but disappointment when he returned to the bar with the evidence of just how brave he was, and no brunette in the bar. 

That had deserved another round (or two) of whiskey.

The next morning, head pounding, his buddies had been sure to quickly fill him on the details. They had all smiled and laughed at his gutsy move, mostly because in the end he didn’t even get the girl (which really, in hindsight, she was not pretty enough for this mess). He had thought that maybe he could talk his way out of it, as he had done before in other sticky situations.

Not this time.

Even though he explained he had been nearly drunk when he done it, that it was a dumbass dare, that it was “the last thing on earth he wanted to do”, the recruiter didn’t care.

The papers were signed, the deed was done, and he was now one of the Legion. 

His “buddies” sent him off with a few farewells, pats on the back, and waved as he left for his new position.

It wasn’t bad at first and really. Sure the constant belittling got annoying and he had done enough scrubbing of bathroom floors for a life time (mostly because it was, for once, his gruff attitude and side comments that got him in trouble and not his fists) but the idea of an adventure was as sweet as whiskey. The idea that at any moment, he may be sent off to some far off country to explore what was there, to see action, seemed like a dream.

So many men he ran into on the base spoke of islands, tropical warm places they had been stationed. Some spoke even of snowy mountains with miles and miles of nothing but snow and terrain, beautiful clean air filling their lungs. A few found themselves in cities half way across the world, not able to understand a single word spoken in the country.

But he wasn’t sent to some beautiful island or some far off foreign land, he was sent to Libya for a scouting mission. 

He had never been to Libya. It was no tropical island, but there was still sand and the constant beating of the hot sun. The culture was interesting enough and it was at least a foreign land in which he had never stepped foot in; so maybe it wasn’t ideal, but it was something. Soon he found himself comfortable and liking the country and its’ people.

Then the rumors had started; stupid, ridiculous rumors of some far off ancient city in Egypt (Hamunaptra? Huminiptra? Whatever) that had a ton of hidden gold and treasures within its’ ruins and it spread through the group like wild-fire. 

Kristoff hadn’t believed one bit of it. It was an old tale, nothing more; something to keep the tourists coming. 

His opinion, however, wasn’t shared by the rest of the crew.

Now, thanks to his lovely Colonel who had believe the bullshit, they were in Egypt in some God forsaken desert, at the ruins of some dumb city, bout to fight for their lives against God knows who that were barreling at them on their mustangs. 

Kristoff pressed himself against the remains of what seemed to be a wall. He loaded his gun, looking at the line of men coming at them and scouting out a target. 

He could hear the Colonel going up and down the line behind him on his horse, encouraging them as best he could.

“Tenir les hommes!”

Hold men! He cried, over and over. The whole battalion had lined themselves around the ruins, now loading their guns and preparing for unexpected battle. They may not have found the treasure here yet but the Colonel, along with the men, were going to protect what could possibly be their treasure.

The enemies grew closer, barreling full speed at them, and the shouting of the Colonel grew quieter and less frequent. 

Kristoff looked down the barrel of his gun, selecting his target when the sound of hooves made him turn.

There was a blur of grey and white, a cloud of sand forming as he watched as his once Colonel took off away from the city and towards the desert behind them.

He had abandoned them.

Oh hell. That meant…

“You just got promoted.”

He looked to his right, finding Weasel smiling awkwardly at him.

Weasel was the only buddy Kristoff had made in the battalion. He wasn’t really a friend; he couldn’t trust him as far as he could throw him. His name only adding to the reputation known well throughout the men. 

Gold was most definitely Weasel’s favorite thing, and most favorite thing to take. Any valuables among the men, Gold or not, would mysteriously disappeared. If it was worth something it was his. No one could prove it, he was too good and had been searched many times. Still, the valuables would never be found.

But he was helpful and someone he could talk to, so it was something. 

Kristoff groaned, this was not how he wanted to be promoted.

“Prenez vos positions!”

Take your positions! He cried, his men answering back to his request.

He could see the enemies’ faces now. Markings covered their cheeks and forehead, what they said he did not know. Their turbans and garbs flapped as they road, confident in their saddles, a good many with rifles raised into the air.

“Steady!”

They were yards away, war cries echoing among them as they continued to charge. 

Not yet.

“You’re with me on this one right?” He mumbled to Weasel. 

“Oh,” Weasel laughed nervously, “Your strength gives me strength.”

Kristoff couldn’t help but smirk, “Steady!” he cried once more.

The markings were now clear and he could now clearly see they were symbols. A language of some sort were tattooed on the enemies faces. What they said, what they meant, why they were on their faces of all things, he did not know. Nor did he really care. 

All he knew was they were much closer now. He could see the whites in their eyes, the sweat beading on their foreheads. But still, they were just a bit too far. 

Almost.

The sound of the hooves on sand and the few cries of war were the only sound to be heard. The cloud of dust behind the black outfitted warriors only growing larger and larger as they grew nearer to them. 

One withdrew a sword, and the several others followed suit. The sound of swords unsheathing echoing across the sand, the sound making the hair on Kristoff’s neck stand on end.

Guns and swords.

This could be his one and only battle. 

There was a clatter, a blur of movement and he heard “Wait! Wait for me sir, please!” as Weasel ran from his side.

“Damn you Weasel.” He groaned, gripping his gun harder.

He looked back down the barrel. A few inches off either way and he would still hit his target. This was it. 

“FIRE!”

All hell broke loose as gun shots rang out. The man Kristoff aimed for falling from his horse along with several of his other comrades across the front line.

Kristoff moved to reload as quickly as possible, eyeing how many had fallen as he shoved the bullet into the chamber. 

It wasn’t enough, a great many still rode strong towards them.

The sound of constant gunfire filled the air along with the smell of gun powder. Many of the shots came from his surrounding comrades, but the most seemed to come from enemy. 

It was becoming abundantly clear that they were vastly outnumbered.

Kristoff cocked the gun, aimed once more, and fired; his target falling with a cry of agony. 

He repeated the motion, as quickly and efficiently as he had learned back in training. Taking careful aim and taking down another target. Sweat fell down his back as he continued the motions, trying desperately to ignore the cries of death around him.

Then, he saw motion to his right. 

Another group of the fighters were coming at them from the side, completely taking them by surprise. 

Kristoff stood, a few bullets between his teeth, still going through the motions as he watched helplessly as the men on the far right of him fell slowly to bullets and swords. He began to back up slowly with every shot to keep a bit of space between him and the enemy.

Keep fighting.

The men near him stood with him, fighting desperately trying to hold their position; to hold the line. If the line fell, then they were done. He had to keep them going, had to keep fighting for them to survive.

The enemy continued to fire and still he fought on. 

Their war cries grew louder and still he stayed strong.

The cries of pain echoed around him and still he kept going. 

But they were upon them in an instant.

As he got off another shot, he watched as a fighter jumped over the wall and took the soldier that knelt mere feet from where the rider had jumped. Kristoff realized with a moment of dread that the rider had jumped over the exact spot he had been kneeling not moments before. 

Shot after shot he fought, watching as more soldiers fell, as more horses jumped the fallen wall, hearing the cries of his men around him.

Another shot, another target fell and Kristoff lowered his gun and grabbed the bullet from his teeth. But before he could place it into the chamber, a rider was upon him in an instant.

He gripped his gun, swung upward with all his might and hit the rider clear off the horse with the butt of his gun. 

Thinking the rider through, Kristoff moved to reload. Then, a battle cry made him look up and he saw the rider coming at him full speed with his sword raised high, blood dripping from his nose. 

Gripping his rifle once more, Kristoff swung the rifle back and upward. He hit him squarely in the jaw and watched the man fall back into the sand. 

Kristoff needed to reload, but more riders came barreling towards him and he realized there was no time. 

He threw his rifle away, pulling his revolvers from their sleeves and took aim at the oncoming of men; still moving every so swiftly back towards the ruble of the city. He was in the open, were it was easy to take aim, making him an easy target. He had to find cover and quickly. 

With each shot another enemy fell, and at least 3 more of his men fell with them. 

There were the sounds of clicks, and he realized in a brief moment of fear his revolvers were out of bullets.

Shit.

Tossing them aside, he reached behind him and pulled out his pistols. 

He continued to fire, trying desperately to keep them at bay, trying to give his men a fighting chance. 

Then, out of nowhere, a group of riders appeared. Huddled together, they came towards him and Kristoff realized he had no choice. 

He turned and ran. 

Cover. Have to find cover.

Standing archways and pillars held no help for him. Walls would only be good for so long if no one saw him dive behind it. The ridge that surrounded and hid the city was too high to climb; giving his position away easily and quickly. Running away would only last so long before they would catch up to him or a bullet found its’ target. There was nothing in this dumb fallen city.

Then he spotted it. 

There was a doorway. An open doorway that seemed to lead into what seemed to be a falling building. With any luck, he could make it there and possibly get out of this mess for at least a moment.

Leaping over ruble and fallen men, he raced to the door; trying desperately to avoid the bullets flying towards him. He could hear them whizzing past him, hitting the stone around him. He had to keep moving, he had to make it to the door. 

Then he saw something he would never forget. 

Weasel came from his left, jumping over a fallen pillar just a few yards ahead of Kristoff.

“Run Weasel, RUN!” Kristoff shouted, pointing to the doorway in front of them. “Get inside! GET INSIDE!”

Weasel didn’t hesitate. He ran for the door and dove inside before bullets hit the sand where he was just seconds before. For a moment he looked around inside then he disappeared. He had found cover, Kristoff had thought, thank the Gods. He himself was only a few yards away. There was a chance. 

Then, Kristoff’s heart sank. 

“HEY!” He cried, watching as Weasel tried desperately to move a large stone slab in front of the doorway; in front of Kristoff’s only chance of safety. “DON’T YOU CLOSE THAT DOOR!”

Weasel looked at him, watched him, as he continued to pull the slab. 

Kristoff was just a few feet away. He could make it, he could. If Weasel would just, 

“DON’T YOU CLOSE THAT DOOR!”

But it was too late, Kristoff slammed into the stone. He pounded his fist on the slab, rage brewing inside him. 

“OPEN THE DAMN DOOR WEASEL! OPEN THE DAMN—“

Gunshots rang out. Kristoff ducked as he heard bullets hit the slab. Pounding the stone one last time, he ran away from what was his only chance of survival. 

His lungs were burning, his legs jelly, as he ducked and weaved across the ruins. He zig zagged as he tried to avoid the bullets coming for him. 

Then his foot caught a raised stone and Kristoff tumbled into the sand. His pistols flew out of his hands, out of his grasp and for a brief moment he laid looking up at the blue sky. 

He rolled over, reaching for the pistol but a bullet landed just left of his hand. Yanking his hand back, he clamored to his feet. 

He kept running, trying to lose the men within the fallen ruble. Then he stopped. He saw another small group of the fighters coming at him from the other side of the ruble. Realizing he was trapped, he squeezed through an opening in between some fallen columns and ran as bullets flew at him.

They were close, the sounds of their horse’s hooves not far behind him. He had to keep moving, he had to keep running, he had to find shelter somewhere. 

He couldn’t give up. 

But when he found himself faced to face with a dark slab of stone, the sound of hooves coming from all sides around him, he turned around and realized that there was no fighting to the bloody end. 

He was alone, with no weapons, up against at least ten rifles. 

He had lost. 

The men surrounded him, blocking any way of fleeing he had. One lowered his guns, aiming at him and the rest followed his lead. The sounds of the guns cocking seemed to be the last sound Kristoff was ever going to hear.

He took a final deep breath and closed his eyes. 

At least it would be quick.

But there was no sound of gunfire, no shock of pain. Unexpectedly, there was the sounds of horses neighing, pounding their hooves into the ground. Followed quickly by their owners shouting at each other words he did not know.

Kristoff opened one of his eyes, and his jaw immediately dropped as he watched in astonishment as the men galloped furiously away from him.

What the hell?

Kristoff knew he was gruff and larger than most men, but he was not at all scary enough to make a small group of fighters flee from him in fear of facing him. But somehow, he had just faced ten men, looked down the barrel of ten rifles and had survived.

If I survive this, that’s what I’m telling everyone.

He sighed a breath of relief but then, the hairs on his arm stood up. 

Confused, he turned and faced the dark stone he had come to. It was no random wall but a statue. He looked up and saw the large face of what seemed to be a dog. The statue had arms, his feet buried below in the sand. A few hieroglyphics were engraved upon the figure, their meanings completely unknown to Kristoff. 

He stared back up at the face of the figure, the eyes of the dog seeming to glare at him. An unsettling feeling filled his stomach, and at that moment he wanted nothing more than to run away from the staring statue.

The sound of movement tore his eyes from the figure. Sand wisped at his feet, coming towards him in what seemed to be small waves. 

“Woah!”

They hit him from all sides, covering him in waves. He jumped, avoiding them the best he could. But as he moved, they seemed to follow his steps and Kristoff took off away from the city and away from the statue. 

He didn’t know if the sand followed him or not, all he knew was the uneasy feeling was still in his stomach as he ran back through the city to where they had entered. 

Was it this place that made him uneasy? What had happened here? The bodies that lied all across the city? The blood that was shed here for the rumor of gold?

The reason of the feeling, he did not know, but he did know when it stopped as he reached the outside of the city. 

He paused, taking deep breathes as he turned back to look at the fallen city and the men he had lost there. 

Lives had been lost for a rumor. A bloody rumor. How was he supposed to return now? How was he to face the rest of the Legion and explain what the Colonel had done?

Would they even believe him? His reputation was already not that great among the Legion, they probably needed just one excuse to get rid of him.

He wouldn’t mind that so much if he had not finally found something to be a part of and use his time for. 

God, would he even get to stay within the Legion or be sent straight to prison for treason? Or abandonment, seeing as the whole battalion had abandon their posts for this dumb mission.

The only witnesses was a man galloping somewhere across the desert, a coward hiding somewhere within the city, and himself; and there was no way the other two were going back.

What the hell was he supposed to do?

He looked to the sky, the heat of the sun beating down upon him. 

Then he saw movement.

Sitting on top of the ridge sat a small group of the fighters from before. 

They did not move to come for him, they did not raise a rifle towards him, they simply seemed to be watching him.

Kristoff glared at them. 

Why had they attacked them? They had done nothing, nothing at all to provoke them. Had crossed on no lands that were still sacred or owned by tribes, so why had they come after them? 

Why had they killed so many innocent men for seemingly nothing but a ruined city?

Either way, he hated them. Hated them all. 

If they wanted to watch him leave, watch him go off to face the desert, then so be it.

You think I’ll die. Kristoff thought with a smirk, you thought wrong.

With that, he turned his back to them, to the city, to the men he lost, and marched into the desert. 

\--

It was a victory, not a clean one but one all the same. 

Eyeing the Meji from above, Elsa saw the few men they had lost lying within the sand. 

Their sacrifice would be worth it. 

“The creature remains undiscovered.” She murmured beneath her black cloth, watching the rest of the remaining warriors gallop back towards home in the distance. 

There was much blood shed, more than she would have particularly liked, but the men had brought it upon on themselves.

The city was hidden for a reason, a good reason. The fact that they had made it within the city was unheard of. 

The Eyes of the Desert would most definitely receive reprimands for their failing to push them away.

“And what of this one?”

Elsa looked below her to were the man pointed. One seemed to have survived. She had seen him before, fighting valiantly and taking out even her best men. 

He may be brave, but he was still a possible threat to their mission. 

“Should we kill him?” One of her men suggested. 

At that moment, the man looked up to the sky and after a moment noticed them watching him. She may not have been able to see the man’s face, but knew that he was looking at them with nothing but hatred in his eyes.

If only he knew why the sacrifice was needed, why the men had to fall. 

Elsa thought for a moment, knowing what the man’s only option was.

“No.” She said, with a small smirk, “The desert will kill him.”

The man turned away from them and Elsa watched as the man walked towards his death.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TA-DA! I know it's been a while but, I finally got this done. This chapter fought me so hard but it's complete :D Hope you enjoy! Sorry for the delay!

Cairo, Egypt – 3 years later

This wasn’t exactly the dream job Anna Rendell had in mind.

Well, really, she could be stuck in some factory sewing till her fingers bled or taking care of someone’s bratty children or ironing out someone’s linens; but still, when she had decided to come to Cairo, this wasn’t the job she had had in mind. 

Cairo had always been so full of life from what she remembered of it. Streets filled with people selling clothes, jewelry, food farms or freshly cooked food made right on the cart, tapestries with all kinds of colorful designs, and sometimes the occasional monkey that would dance to the tune the owner would play. 

But that’s not what made Cairo so incredibly interesting. The history that was within the city and around it within the desert had fascinated Anna since she was a little girl.

She had believed that coming to this city, being so close to the incredible discoveries that were being made, that maybe she could be a part of some amazing discovery as well. That someday, she herself, after days spent reading hieroglyphics and digging within the ancient ruins, that she could uncover some unknown Pharaoh or a long-lost city. The news would travel far and wide, scholars would beg for her to be a part of their next project, to help find the next lost treasure, plead with her to join their museum, offer loads of money for her to simply speak at a conference of some sort, to have her name printed in all the papers and held as the next great scholar. 

Instead, however, she was locked within the walls of the city documenting the books people had finally returned. 

Being a librarian wasn’t exactly the exciting “adventurous” job Anna had wanted, but it had its’ perks.

There were hundreds of books at her disposal for one. The job was always dully slow, so she had more than enough time to scan the books, learn as much as she could to ready herself for a better future…if it ever came. 

It paid well too, which was nice and she did live in the city she loved so much. 

But still, even with perks, it was sometimes hard to enjoy it. 

Anna tapped the end of her pen on the desk, reading over the list of books for the hundredth time. 

She knew they were all there, she just didn’t feel like leaving the comfort of the small fan, or climbing the ladder to put them all back. 

With a sigh, she leaned back, already regretting her decision. 

“Well you lot,” Anna said with a small smile as she scooped the books into her hands, “let’s put you back where you belong.”

It was a slow task. It would be faster with another set of hands but seeing as she was always the only one here, she didn’t have a choice. 

It was the same motion: check the title, move the ladder, climb the ladder, place the book on the shelf, come back down and start again. Sadly, it probably would be the most exciting part of her day. 

“Looks like we will be in the S’s today.” Anna said, walking to the designated shelf and shifting the ladder ever so slightly along the bookcase. “Let’s see, Sacred Rituals. You’ll be right uppppppp here.” She moved up a few steps, then gently placed the book in its’ place. “Now, Sacred Stones. Oh, it’s about time they returned you.” The ladder creaked as she shifted ever so slightly to place the book in its’ home. She continued down the list: 

“Sculpture and Aesthetics, don’t think I’ve read you yet…Or maybe I did. Either way, I’ll be reading you soon.

“Socrates, I’ve read you too many times.

“Seth volumes one, two andddddd three.” Anna said with a grin, “Good to have you three back. And T—” She paused, re-reading the title. “Tuthmosis? How did you end up over here?”

Anna looked behind her, where the other T’s rested on the dark stained shelves. Her shoulder’s fell. 

She really did not feel like having to move the ladder, or having to climb back up once it was time. Any other slow day, maybe, but it was near the end of the day. The motion had become tiring and she just wanted to be done.

“Alright, you’re not that far are you?” She said, judging the distance, “Let’s see if we can make it this time.”

Placing the remaining books on a free space on the bookcase, she turned herself sideways and took a deep breath.

“Ok, this time, you’re going to make it.”

Tongue sticking out in concentration, she stretched out her arm and began to lean towards the opposite shelf. Leaning as far as she could, she knew she wasn’t close enough so, she repositioned her hand to give her just a bit more length. Inch by inch she let her hand gripping the ladder ease off just a bit, letting her get closer and closer to the shelf.

“Almost…got it.” Anna murmured, leaning just a bit further, the book almost brushing the shelf.

“ANNA!” 

With a startled yelp, she dropped the book and returned to the ladder. Gripping the dark wood as tightly as possible and avoiding the scrutinizing eyes she could feel staring at her from below.

“Please tell me you were not trying to reach the other shelf…again.”

Anna giggled nervously, “What? After the last time? Of course not Kai, what do you take me for?”

Even though she couldn’t see him, she knew he was shaking his head.

She had tried this before, numerous times, but the last time had ended in complete disaster. The ladder had come off the case completely, and Anna instinctively leaned back into it to put it back right. But that had been the wrong move. The ladder had slammed into the case, sending it falling and causing a domino effect around the entire library. 

It had taken Anna nearly a week, with no sleep, to set the bookcases back up, check the books for damages, reorganize the books and place them back on the shelves.

Kai sighed, “Anna.”

Anna bit her lip, looking down to the plumb man at the bottom of the ladder. She winced a bit at the annoyed look on his face, “Ok, so if I said I was—“

“Sons of the Pharaohs, Anna!” Kai exclaimed, “Did you not learn your lesson the last time?”

Anna grabbed the rest of the books, slowly making her way down the ladder, “Of course I did.”

“No, I don’t think you did, seeing as I just saw you trying to pull the same stunt again.”

Anna hugged the books to her chest, looking at Kai’s shoes nervously. 

He really needed to polish them.

“Anna,” Kai sighed and this time Anna looked up, “I know you inherited your Father’s stubbornness but you know better.”

Anna had to bite back a smile, “Mom always said he was as stubborn as a mule.”

“And she was quite right too.” Kai chuckled. 

Anna giggled, then bit her lip, “I’m sorry Kai. I know I shouldn’t have but…I just…the walls close in sometimes and it gets so dead and quiet in here I just need something exciting.”

“I don’t think knocking over hundreds of books over is exactly exciting Anna.”

“Ok, no, that part isn’t, but the risk of pushing them over is kind of exciting.”

“Oh good lord,” Kai rubbed his forehead, “you are your Father’s child.”

“Mama said that a lot.”

Kai chuckled, “And she spoke the truth.” Kai looked up, and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I know you want adventure as much as your parents. But, right now you are a librarian and librarians do not take risks. Especially with expensive and old books. Ok?”

Anna nodded her head, “Sorry Kai.”

Kai smiled, “It’s ok. Just next time, if you want excitement, go explore the museum or see how well you’ve gotten down hieroglyphics and try and translate the ruins. But don’t risk the books, please.”

With a sigh, Anna nodded once more. “I’ll try.” She murmured. 

Kai snickered, “What am I going to do with you?”

“Help me find the adventure I’ve been looking for all my life?”

“Or keep to your parent’s wishes and watch after you.”

“While also helping me find adventure?”

“And make sure you get a good education and learn as much as possible--”

“And helping me find adventure?”

“While making sure you are well on your feet and able to provide for yourself.” Anna raised her brow, “Alright yes, and help you find adventure.” Anna smiled, “But I still have an honor to keep to your parents and, rest their souls, I must follow it.” 

“You’ve done a pretty great job so far.” She said looping her arm through his, resting her head on his shoulder “I think they would be most proud of your efforts at keeping me somewhat manageable.”

“Proud, amazed and probably give me a raise and a month’s long vacation.” Kai laughed at Anna’s glare, “Alright, finish shelving the books and you can leave after. Go get an early start to the weekend.”

Anna perked up, “You’re the best Kai!”

“I try my best.”

-|-

The rest of the books didn’t take long, thankfully. The sun was just beginning to set when Anna turned the lamp off at her desk.

She made for the back door when a sound echoed across the library. 

Anna looked to the doorway leading to the museum.

Odd, Kai had left an hour ago to go to the market. No one should be in the museum.

“Hello?” Anna called, taking a step to the doorway. If someone had wondered into the museum, then she would have to make sure they found a way out. She didn’t want to but, if Kai was gone she had no choice.

The sound came again, a soft shuffling as though someone was dragging their feet across the floor. 

Anna sighed, closing her eyes. She just wanted to get home and rest, but it seemed someone else had a different plan.

Anna walked briskly to the doorway, heading down the hallway as she called “If anyone is here, the museum is currently closed. We should be open again in an hour when the curator returns.” 

There was silence as she peered into the museum. The torches were still lit along the walls, setting the mood for the earie room. It was something Kai had come up with, to try and make the room spookier. Honestly, the room was already spooky enough with so many mummies on display either in their coffins they were found in or in glass boxes, propped up so visitors could get a full view of the aged body. Among the coffins were several artifacts that had been found with the said bodies on display; gold boat figurines, cat statues, some even their jars with their removed body parts. One recovered pharaoh had a large carved statue of Anubis within his tomb, which now sat promptly in the middle of the room.  
Kai had nailed the atmosphere perfectly since Anna had sudden chills go down her spine. She looked around, spotting no one within the room. 

The sun lowering made the room darker than normal, even with the torches still lit. Needing just a bit more light, Anna pulled one of the nearby torches out of its’ hold. 

“Hello?” Anna called once more, walking cautiously. She didn’t know why; it wasn’t like any of the mummies had come to life and were coming to get her. Just something told her to walk as quietly and carefully as possible, which was hard enough as it was with how clumsy she was.

Nothing but the crackle of the torches filled the room as Anna made her way past the rows of artifacts. 

Slowly she eased her way into the room, peering down each row of artifacts. 

“Abdul?” Anna called out. 

“Mohammed?” 

Anna gulped, “Bob?”

There was another sound from across the room and Anna jumped. Biting her lip to hold back a potential scream, she eased her way towards the noise, leading her to an old open coffin. 

She looked around once more, eased her way to the coffin. With a deep breath, she reached her hand out and prepared to peek inside when the mummy shot up. 

“BAHHHHH!”

Anna screamed, jumping and nearly dropping the torch as the mummy sat straight up in his coffin. 

As she tried to catch her breath, she heard familiar laughter. Turning back to the tomb, she clutched her chest and glared as she watched her brother sit up with another loud cackle. 

“Sven!” Anna cried over his laughter, “Do you have no respect for the dead?”

Sven looked at her, smirking as he pushed his hair back. “Of course I do!” He said, placing the mummy back down in its resting back. “But sometimes, I’d rather like to join them.”

“You almost did with that stunt Sven.”

“Oh please,” Sven chuckled, hopping out of the coffin. “You wouldn’t hurt your dear old brother would you?”  
“I would if it meant he would stop terrorizing me.”

“Oh poppycock. You’re exaggerating.”

“Am I?” Anna deadpanned, eyeing the mummy. 

“What? That?” Sven shrugged, “Wasn’t even my best work really.” 

Anna rolled her eyes, “What do you want Sven?”

Sven placed his hand on his heart, “Now sweet baby sister, do you only think I visit you because I want something?”

“Yes.”

“I am hurt.”

“Look, I have lots to do and I’m not in the mood.” Anna sighed, placing the torch on a nearby holder. “My application to go out for some field experience has just been denied. Which is stupid because they said I don’t ‘have enough experience in the field’. Saying that it’s great that I’ve gone to school and have all this knowledge on the subject, but they’re not sure it would reflect on the field. So they recommended I get some field experience first and have my skills put to the test first before applying to them. Which makes no bloody sense because then how do they expect me to get damn field experience if they won’t accept me to get some.” Anna sat with a huff, leaning her head back against a nearby glass display. “I’m going to be stuck in this museum for the rest of my life it seems.”

“Alright, first off, language.” Anna huffed a laugh, looking to her brother. Sven winked, “And second,” He knelt, grabbing her hands and squeezing them gently. “You’ll always have me, old mum.”

Anna looked at him. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Did it work?”

“Not really no.”

“Well, damn.”

Anna bit her lip, trying to hold back her laugh as her brother chuckled and sat beside her. 

“If that didn’t cheer you up then maaaaybe,” Sven turned to his pockets. “This will.”

“Oh Sven,” Anna said, shaking her head, “not another one of your trinkets.” 

Sven, though as smart as Anna knew he was, did not do well in college. He found it quite boring, he had told her, and it just didn’t suit him. She didn’t blame him; Sven never was meant to venture to college as she had. He was always meant to explore the world and see what it held. 

And Cairo was no exception. 

Every day he would roam the city; searching for anything that looked ancient or interesting for Anna to look at. Sometimes, he was lucky to hitch along on digs, or would simply sneak onto the site and grab the first thing he could find. Then there were the card games that he would easily bet his life savings on just to get his hand on anything that looked ancient. 

Most of the time, if not every time, they had been nothing but fake ‘ancient gold relicts’ or a shiny stone tied to string that was sworn to be some ‘ancient protector’ when really it was nothing but a piece of stone someone had painted and sold off to some fool of a tourist. Leaving Anna always disappointed, and Kai somewhat annoyed. 

“If I have to take one more piece of junk to Kai to try and…” Anna blinked, hesitating as Sven held the object in front of her, “sell for you.”

The object was dark, nearly black in color, in the shape of an octagon. The size of a grapefruit, the relic sat perfectly in her hand as the top and bottom were completely flat. The stone figure was covered in dark etched symbols along its sides that Anna immediately recognized as hieroglyphic. 

Anna grabbed the stone object, carefully taking it from Sven’s grasp. “Where did you get this?” she murmured. 

“On a dig down in Thebes.” Sven said, scratching his head with anxiousness. 

“The one from three weeks ago?” Anna questioned as she slowly examined the relic. 

“Yeah.”

“And you’re just bringing this up now?”

“Well, I wasn’t sure because I didn’t want to bring you another piece of junk, as you call them.”

Anna peered at him from the corner of her eyes, feeling her lips tug up into a smirk. She turned back to the object, feeling the engravings and searching for something that might lead to what exactly this was. Looking closer at it, the top caught her eye. Eight small triangles encircled a small circle within the middle. The way they sat, the way they were engraved, there was no doubt that they opened. With how the sides were inches tall, there was a good chance that something may be hidden within it. A secret compartment within the object itself; or it was the purpose of the object in the first place.

Then there had to be a way to open it.

“Listen, Anna.” Sven said, leaning closer, “The whole time we’ve been here I’ve never found anything.” Anna felt something along the sides. A small circle that was raised on the side of the object. “Please tell me I found something.”

Anna pressed the circle, and with a soft click the object reacted. 

They both gasped.

The top opened, just as Anna had guessed, and inside sat a piece of folded parchment. 

“Sven.”

“Yeah?”

“I think you’ve found something.”


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: I know, it's been forever since I updated! I promise I'm still working on it, half way through Ch. 4 now actually, so stay patient! Plus, we finally get the two goofs to meet! Hopefully the next one will be up soon :)

“What exactly is so special about this?” Kai asked, eyeing the parchment in his hand.

Anna continued pacing, wringing her hands together in excitement and nerves, “Well, you see the cartouche there in the corner?” She paused as she watched Kai glance to the corner, “That’s the official royal seal of Seti the First.”

“Are you so sure?”

Anna smiled at him, “I’m positive.”

“Ok, two questions.” Sven said, leaning against the wall. “One, who the hell is Seti the First?”

“He was the second pharaoh of the 19th dynasty. He was said to be the wealthiest pharaoh of them all.”

“Well, that answered my second question.”

“Which was?”

“Was he rich?” Sven said with a smirk as Anna rolled her eyes, “I like this fellow then.”

“Anyways,” Anna said, eyeing Sven as she walked over to Kai, “I’ve already dated the map. It’s nearly 3,000 years old. And if you look at the hieratic just there…” She pointed to the object in question on the map, “well, it’s Hamunaptra.”

Kai looked up at her with a chuckle, “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m not being ridiculous.” Anna said confused, “I recognize that hieratic anywhere. I’ve seen it so many times in the books in the library. That’s Hamunaptra, I’m sure of it.”

Sven looked up, eyes wide, and came to side of the desk to pere at the map.

“Anna, I know what you’re thinking.” Kai said eyeing her, “But we’re scholars, not treasure hunters. Besides, Hamunaptra’s a myth, told by ancient Arab storytellers to amuse Greek and Roman tourists.”

Anna crossed her arms, “I know all the blather about the city being protected by the curse of a mummy--”

“Beg pardon?” Sven questioned, looking up from the map.

“But my research has led me to believe that the city...the city itself may have actually existed.”

“Ok, wait, we’re talking about Hamunaptra. The Hamunaptra?” Sven asked.

“Yes, the City of the Dead.” Anna said with a small smile.

“Where the earliest pharaohs were said to have hidden the wealth of Egypt? In a big underground chamber?”

“Ha!” Kai barked a laugh, still studying the map.

“Oh come on.” Sven said, walking from the desk, “Everybody knows the story Kai. The entire necropolis was rigged to sink into the sand on Pharaoh's command. The place would disappear beneath the sand dunes, taking the treasure with it.”

“You’ve done your research.” Anna said with a smirk, walking around to meet him in front of the desk.

“It was my favorite tale as a kid.” Sven said, “Dad used to tell me about it, so naturally I had to know more.”

“Sure it had nothing to do with the treasure?”

“...that did play a little into it yes.”

“Of course it did.”

“Yes well,” Kai said, “as the Americans would say, ‘it’s all fairy tales and non--oh my goodness!”

The siblings turned to see the parchment in Kai’s hand on fire.

“No!” Anna cried.

Kai dropped it, the two siblings scrambling to pat the fire out. The flames died out, and Anna carefully picked up the now burnt map in her hand.

“You’ve burnt it!” Sven said, turning to Kai. “You’ve burned off the part of the lost city!”

“It’s for the best, I’m sure.” Kai said. 

Anna looked at him in disbelief. “For the best?”

“Yes, many men have wasted their lives in foolish pursuit of Hamunaptra. No one has ever found it.” Kai eyed Anna, “Most have never returned.”

“This was my chance Kai!” Anna said, standing to face him. “This was my chance to finally go do something, to finally get out of this museum and you burned it off.”

“It was an accident and did you not hear a word that I just said?” Kai said, standing from his chair, “I am not going to have you running about Egypt on a wild goose chase hunting a city that we aren’t even completely sure exists.”

“That map proved it existed.” Anna said.

“The map proved nothing.”

“It was a 3,000 year old map,” Sven said, “with hieroglyphics depicting ancient cities we know existed. That scholars have found and dug up. That map said a lot.”

“It doesn’t matter what it said now.” Kai said, his voice rose as he pointed to the parchment in Anna’s hand, “It’s gone now and as I said before, it’s for the best.”

“But--”

“Enough.” Kai bellowed. “What’s done is done and I will hear no more about it.”

Anna gaped at him, ready to keep fighting her case till she felt Sven grab her arm.

“Anna, come on.” Sven whispered. 

Anna turned to him, ready to fight her case with him too if need be. 

“What’s done is done.” Sven said, giving her a quick wink. 

Anna blinked, slightly confused as he eyed the door and then back at her.

What was he up to?

“Fine.” Anna said, pulling her arm away from her brother. She glared once more at Kai then stormed out the door, map still in hand.

-|-

“Alright, are you going to tell me what’s going on in that head of yours?” Anna said, storming to her desk.

“Well,” Sven said, following behind, “First off, I apologize.”

“For?”

“I may have lied to you..”

Anna eyed Sven as she sat down in her chair, “When?”

“When I told you about that thing I found.”

“If you’re about to tell me it’s a gag gift--”

“Oh no no no, it’s real. Completely real.” Sven said, “I wouldn’t lie to you about that.”

“Good. I would have killed you if you had.”

“Oh please, you could never hurt me.”

“That’s what you think.” Anna murmured. “What exactly did you lie about then?”

“...How exactly I came about the map.”

“You got it off a dig site didn’t you?”

“In a way, yes.”

“...In a way?”

Sven looked down at his sleeve, tugging at it with nerves. “Well, I was at the site when I saw it.”

“Sven..”

“And I thought it was from the site when I took it.”

Anna’s jaw dropped, “Sven, tell me you didn’t.”

Sven winced, “I did.”

“You stole it?!”

“...Maybe.”

Anna groaned, putting her head in hands. “Sven, why?”

“Look, the bloke didn’t realize it at the time. Honest.”

“Still doesn’t make it right!”

“Yes, I know.” Sven said, “But that’s not the point. The bloke who had it--”

“The man you stole from.”

“Yes, thank you for the reminder.” Sven deadpanned, “The man, I’m pretty sure, has actually been there.”

Anna looked up to her brother, eyes wide, “What?”

Sven sat down in the chair in front of Anna’s desk, leaning in closely, “We worked together on the site. At night we would drink around the fire, chat about where we had been, what we had seen, what we had found. At first, he was very stand off. He didn’t talk much, didn’t talk to anyone on the site at all really. But one night he had too much I think, and he started talking.”

“About?”

“Random things.” Sven said, “His home, war, but that’s not what caught my attention.”

“And what made you steal from him.”

“You’re never going to let me live that down are you?”

“No.”

“Alright well, Hamunaptra came up one night. Guys were talking about it, sharing the rumors they had heard. Then this man, Christopher? Chris? Hell, I can’t remember his name. He started laughing. Told us we were all wrong. Said that the city was a wasteland. Nothing but sand and ruins. We asked how he knew, and he just stared off for a minute. He said he’d seen it. Of course, no one believed him.”

“Why did you?”

“Because I asked him about it...after a few more swigs of the bottle of course. Kept going on about how there was nothing but sand and blood. He was in the army I think, can’t remember where, but his group had ended up going there because his general was obsessed about it. Sad story really. From how he drank, the trip didn’t end well.”

“So, you trusted a drunk man’s word?”

“You didn’t see his face Anna.” Sven said, “The look in his eyes, the way he talked about it; he wasn’t lying.”

“Ok, ok I believe you. Now what about the map?” Sven looked down at his shoes, “Oh no...oh no Sven, you didn’t.”

“I’d seen it a few days before in his bag of stuff. I didn’t think it was anything. I just thought it was a little trinket or something.” Sven rubbed his face. “I didn’t know it was something till I got here.”

“Sven, please tell me you didn’t steal it from the poor man.”

“He wasn’t some poor old man.” Sven said defensively, “He’s just...been through things.”

“You still stole from him while he was drunk.”

“Look, it’s not something I’m very proud of and I really didn’t think it was anything special! Honest! I just thought it was something he had found on the dig or something he had picked up from the market. I didn’t think he would miss it…”

“Wrong again I assume?”

“It’s kind of why I left the dig.” Sven avoided Anna’s eyes, “He wasn’t exactly pleased when he found out it was missing and I am pretty sure he knew it was me too.”

Anna shook her head, “I can’t believe you sometimes.”

“I can’t believe myself either half the time.”

“But what does this have to do with anything?” Anna asked, “We still don’t have the piece of the map, thanks to Kai. How does that story help us?”

“You weren’t paying attention dear sister.” Sven smirked, “Think.”

Anna stared down at the map, gently rubbing the parchment between her fingers as she thought about the story Sven had told her.

Then it hit her.

“He knows the way.” Anna whispered.

“We don’t need that map.” Sven said

“We just need him!”

“Exactly!”

“We’ll just have to convince him somehow.” Anna said, “Which is going to be bloody difficult with you stealing from him and what not. I doubt he will want to help the man that stole from him while he was drunk. But we’ll worry about that when we talk him. I’m sure it won’t be too difficult.”

“He may just want the trinket back.”

“Or to punch you in the face for stealing it.”

“I have a feeling it may be both.”

Anna giggled, “This is perfect Sven! We have our map, now we just have to find him. Where is he now?”

Sven’s smile fell, and he lightly chuckled, “...that’s another story.”


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Note: thanks to anyone who reads this! Very much appreciate your support <3

Time ran together in this rotten place.

It was around mid-day he guessed. All he really knew was that it was day time, thanks to the sun and the scorching heat. 

But what day it was, that he surely had no clue.

Kristoff had lost count of the days after two weeks stuck in the confines of the prison. All he knew now was he was here long enough for his hair to grow well to his shoulders and a beard beginning to sprout just past manageable. 

He really needed to leave the whiskey alone. For good this time. 

It was the bottles fault for him even being here. 

That and his mouth. 

Both had somehow gotten him locked in this place, and as of a few days ago (he thinks), earned him his hanging. 

Kristoff rubbed his face with a groan. 

He had royally fucked up this time and there was no way out of it either.

Reasoning had gone nowhere, trying to ask his guards what exactly he had said to get him here had earned him nothing but silence. Trying to get close to the warden, if that’s what the fat man even was, had earned him time in solitary. 

No matter what Kristoff did, he couldn’t figure out what he had done exactly to get him here. 

There was a sound of voices, a soft click, and the sound of metal sliding.

“You,” Kristoff glanced up, seeing beady eyes staring at him from the slit in the door, “You have visitors.” 

Kristoff stared at him confused. 

Visitors? Who the hell could be visiting him? 

No one he knew knew he was here. His only friend, if the little shit even was that, was gone somewhere scamming his way out of something else most likely.

His family had long since past so, who was left?

Banging echoed into the cell, “Are you deaf?” the warden yelled, “Visitors. Get up.”

Kristoff glared at the man. He stood, turned and faced the wall. He placed his hands above his hands, feeling the only coolness within the prison on the stone wall. Then he waited. 

More voices, the sounds of locks turning, and the recognizable creak of his cell door. 

The warden shouted orders and Kristoff listened as they entered the cell. As the shackles were placed on his wrists and ankles, the warden appeared at his side. 

“So, what do you want me to tell your visitors?” Kristoff merely stared at him. The warden rolled his eyes, “Why are you here?”

Kristoff blinked. 

The last thing he remembered was wanting to go out. He had wanted some drinks, to sit in the bar and people watch the rest of the night. The bar he remembered, the burning of the first few drinks, the laughter and buzz of the people around him; but after that things got fuzzy. He remembered a hand on his shoulder, mumblings of words being said, pain to his face and the sound of something breaking. 

Then he had awoken here, confused and hungover.

All because he had wanted to have a night out. That’s all he had wanted, was just a good time. 

“Oye,” The warden exclaimed, snapping his fingers, “You going to answer or shall I make one up for you?”

Shaking away the vague memories, Kristoff looked up at the man and mumbled “Just wanted to have a good time.”

The fat man stared for a moment, then barked a laugh. 

More words were shouted and Kristoff was dragged from his cell and through the halls. 

The halls were full of fellow inmates yelling at him and the guards as they passed. Some words he picked out, others in tongues he had never heard. They banged on the bars, on the doors that held them in their cells; yelling to catch the attention of the three men that passed them in the halls.

Kristoff glanced at the men as they passed them, wondering what they could have done to be crammed into this place.  
The prison was a strange place with a strange set up. Some were like him: secluded in a cell, seeing and communicating with no one but the guards at the door if that ever occurred. Others, majority it seemed, were crammed in barred cells. Groups of men seemed to fit in these large open cells that gave view to the hallway and to the courtyard below. 

It was a strange way to have built a prison, but it made Kristoff a bit thankful to have some how earned the cell to himself. The last thing he wanted was to be crammed with other strangers within a cell. 

The shouting continued as they continued down the stairs, following them until the shouting was mere echoes when they met the last step. 

They stopped him in front of another door. One of the guards held his wrists as the other pulled at the locks on the door. A creak of the door, a flash of bright light, and Kristoff was shoved into the dirt, his hands hitting metal bars. 

He turned to protest to the guards, but only managed an aggravated groan when one of the guards whacked him with their boton. 

Blinking to adjust to the light, he look through the bars to see who exactly had called upon him.

The first thing he saw was red, bright fiery red. It took a brief moment to realize it came from the woman before him. She was dressed too nicely to be from anywhere near here. A nice hat placed properly on her head and shielding her face from the sun. Under the shade of the hat, her blue eyes were wide as she looked at him. He could see her clench her bag tighter, squeeze the arm of the man beside her as she glanced up at him.

The man was tall, nearly as tall as Kristoff, with brown curly hair sticking out from his hat. He was smiling, but Kristoff could sense the nervousness from him. The man was oddly familiar but Kristoff couldn’t figure how…

“This is the man you stole it from?” She muttered too loudly.

“Yes.” The man answered, his smile faltering just a bit.

“Who are you?” Kristoff said, furrowing his brow. “The hell do you want?”

“Charming.” The woman said, looking to the man again as he rolled his eyes. 

“I didn’t say he was a noble.”

“You didn’t say he was a prisoner either.”

“Yes well, didn’t need to know everything did you?”

“Oh no, I’m just your sister.” Sister, brother and sister, good to know. “Why would you tell me anything.”

“Some things are best you didn’t know about.”

“Sure.”

“Who the hell are you?”

They both stopped and looked back down at Kristoff. 

The brother shifted, pulling at his jacket as he stepped forward, the sister staying back, “I’m just a local sort of missionary chap,” he said coming forward, eyeing the warden as he stood watch, “spreading the good word.”

Kristoff glared at him. That was the worst lie he had ever heard. He looked back to the sister, who stood nervously, eyeing himself and the warden standing by. 

They wanted something.

“What do you want?”

“To speak the good word of course.”

“Right.” Kristoff deadpanned, ready to ask to be taken back to his cell. This was a waste of time.

Shouting came from across the courtyard, and the warden yelled back. More shouting came and the warden sighed heavily, “I’ll be back in a moment.”

The brother smirked as the warden walked off. 

“Sven,” the woman whispered coming to them, “Ask him about the box.”

“Box?” Kristoff said confused. 

“Right, well, we found your box--” The man named Sven murmured. Something about that named added more to the familiarity of the man. He had heard it before, a fuzzy memory of seeing that smirk somewhere else, a possible bottle in the man’s hand...

“Sir,” Kristoff looked up, not realizing he had been staring at the ground in thought. “We’ve...We’ve found your puzzle box.” The sister said, now at eye level with him. “And we’ve come to ask you about it.”

Puzzle box? He had no puzzle…

Oh.

Oh.

“No.” He said gruffly.

The woman’s shoulders fell. “No?”

“No.” Kristoff said, looking at her grimly, “You came to ask me about Hamunaptra.”

Sven muttered a “Shhh,” as he looked around him. 

“How do you know the box pertains to Hamunaptra?” The woman asked.

“Because that’s where I was when I found it.” Kristoff said, “I was there.”

“Yes, well,” The man named Sven said coming down to their level, “how do we know that’s not a load of pig’s wallow?”

Pig’s wallow. He had definitely heard that before. “Do I know you?” Kristoff said curiously, getting a better look at the man.

The man looked nervously to his sister, then laughed timidly, “What? Oh, no.”

The memories slowly began to come back. A bottle, laughs, talk of the lost city; he had seen this man before. He had talked to this man before. 

Then it hit him.

“I just have one of those face--” Kristoff gave him no time to finish, punching Sven squarely in the nose. 

Sven fell backwards with a grunt, grabbing his nose in pain. A baton came hard onto Kristoff’s back but Kristoff took it with a gritted teeth.

The asshole deserved it, and judging from the sister’s reaction, she had thought so too. She hadn’t so much showed a sympathetic glance to her brother.

“You deserve it.” She murmured softly.

Kristoff couldn’t help but smirk. 

The sister looked back to him, a slight blush on her cheeks when she saw his smirk. It was then Kristoff could see the freckles that scattered along her cheeks. 

“So...you were actually at Hamunaptra?” she asked.

“Yeah, I was there.”

“You swear.”

“Every damn day.”

She rolled her eyes, “I meant--”

“I know what you meant.” Kristoff said gruffly, “I swear, I was there. Seti’s place. The City of the Dead. Can’t forget it.”

“Oye, what happened to you?” The warden asked as Sven sat kneeling in the dirt, still nursing his nose. 

The woman turned to look at the warden, bent down closer, and asked “Could you tell me how to get there?”

“The exact location?”

“Yes, the exact location.”

Kristoff sighed, eyeing the warden, “Do you really want to know?”

“Yes.” Her eyes sparkled with determination.

“Are you sure?”

“Wouldn’t have come all this way if I wasn’t.” She sassed. 

Kristoff saw Sven standing, he didn’t have much time. “Look, I can’t explain it to you. It’s too complicated and seeing as I am to be hanged today I’m not going to be--”

“Hanged?!” The woman exclaimed, leaning into the bars, “For what?”

“Beats me.” Kristoff murmured, finding himself glancing at the freckles along her nose,“But if you really want to find it, then get me the hell out of here!”

The woman gaped, turning quickly to glance at the warden and Sven. 

Kristoff looked towards the men, seeing Sven holding a handkerchief to his nose and the warden eyeing him in curiosity, 

“If I get you out,” the woman whispered, Kristoff turning back to her, “do you promise to take us there?”

Kristoff contemplated for a moment, wondering if his freedom was really worth venturing back to that hell hole. This stranger, strangers, were offering him freedom in exchange for venturing back to the lost city that had cost so many good men their lives. He had nearly lost his life in that place, had barely made it out alive through the desert. Ever since, he had told himself nearly every day that he would stay as far away as possible from that place. Had sworn that nothing would ever be worth going back to that place. Did that include his life?

There was a slight pang of regret in his chest as he heard himself say the word, 

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes,” Kristoff said, “Yes, I promise I’ll take you. Just get me out.” He eyed the warden again, “Please.”

There was a squeal of excitement and then he felt it. A brief feeling of lips on his own. He gaped at her when she pulled back, all full of giggles and excitement. It died as suddenly as it had begun. Her eyes wide, her face turning bright red just like his own. 

She had kissed him. 

In her own excitement, she had kissed him. 

What the hell had just happened?

“Guards,” the warden yelled, motioning them forward, “Take him back!”

“Wait, what?” She exclaimed, standing. 

Kristoff felt himself be lifted off his knees, his eyes still on her till he was turned towards the door.

Well, that was one way to go. 

-|-

“Hope you’re comfortable.” The warden said with a sly smirk. Anna glanced at him, crossing her ankles as she sat in her seat. 

The prisoners around them were cheering, chanting, in anticipation for what was to come. With how they were sitting, however, Anna thought they were set up to watch a show than a man lose his life. 

Anna’s breath caught in her throat as she saw the man being brought out onto the gallows. She didn’t have much time…

“I will give you 100 pounds to save this man’s life.”

The warden chuckled, looking down below, “Madame, I would pay 100 pounds just to see him hang.”

“Two hundred pounds!” Anna cried desperately.

“Proceed.” The warden said lazily. 

“Three hundred!” Anna pleaded. She watched as they brought the man to the ropes, placing it around his throat and tightening it. 

She could see them talking, but couldn’t hear what was being said.

The guard beside the man (the warden had said his name was Chris? Christopher?) looked up to where they sat, yelling something that caught the warden’s attention.

The warden glared below, shouting back down towards them, “Of course we don’t let him go, you fool!”

The guard looked to Chris, (Christopher?), and smacked him upside the head. 

“Five hundred!” 

That caught the warden’s attention. He glanced to here, eyeing her up and down. “And what else?” He said, leaning towards her. “I’m a very lonely man.” He placed his hand on her knee, slowly moving upward.

Anna furrowed her brow and smack the man hand, hard, with her purse. 

Pig. 

The warden shook his hand, then frowned at her. “Fine.” He murmured, then turned back to the courtyard, and raised his hand, “Now!”

“No!” Anna rose quickly to her feet, only to watch as the lever was pulled. 

She was too late. 

There was a creak of wood as the lever was pulled, a thud as the door opened below the man’s feet, and a soft thunk as he fell through the door.

The prison became painfully silent.

He hung in the air, swinging from the force of the fall. She expected him to be painfully still, eyes lost in the distance. 

But his legs kicked furiously, his shoulders and arms flexed from pulling at the rope on his wrists, his face showed pain and a bit of concentration as he struggled against the rope and tried desperately to bring air to his lungs. 

“Ha!” The warden barked, “His neck did not break.”

The prison came back to life, the prisoners cheering once more as the man struggled. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” The warden said, as Anna sat back down, “Now we must watch him strangle to death.”

Anna was lost, trying frantically to find a way to save his life as the man was doing himself. 

With regret, she said the one thing she could think of, “He knows the location to Hamunaptra.” 

The warden looked at her shocked, “You lie!” 

“I would never!” 

“Are you telling me this filthy, godless son of a pig,” the warden said, motioning to the still struggling prisoner, “knows where to find the City of the Dead?”

Anna glanced out of the corner of her eye to Christopher, knowing time was running out as his legs began to slow. 

“Yes!” She said.

“Truly?”

“Yes, and if you cut him down we will give you…” Anna paused, thinking quickly, “Ten percent.”

The warden huffed a laugh, “Fifty percent.”

Anna eyed him, “Twenty.”

“Forty.”

“Thirty!”

“Twenty-five.”

“Ah!” Anna cried, pointing to him with a smile, “Deal!”

The warden looked at her confused, then groaned as he realized his mistake. “Ahh, cut him down!” He cried to the guards. 

The guards moved swiftly, cutting the rope and letting Christopher fall to the ground. The prisoners cried with surprise and confusion, a few boos echoed across the yard.

Anna sighed with relief as she saw him struggle to his knees, looking up to where they sat. She could feel his eyes on her, and she slowly rose from her seat once more, a small smile on her face as she looked down at him.


	6. Chapter 5

It was a calming night along the river, one that should have put Anna’s mind at ease. Unfortunately, it was doing nothing of the sort.

She had come out of her cabin for a bit of light reading before bed; hoping the calming roll of the ship, the gentle breeze, the calmness of it all would help ease her mind and lull her to sleep. With a sigh, she twisted her necklace as she stared out into the water in frustration.

It wasn’t even about the fact they had finally, _finally_ , found a bit of adventure. That she had gotten herself out of the library that was keeping her awake. Nor was it the idea of finding a lot city that only so few had claimed to have visited.

Oh no.

Her frustration came from the stupid leader of their group.

It wasn’t even because he was a grump. Which yes, quite frankly he was one large grump of a man that never seemed to be happy.

Even before boarding the boat, when Sven had tried to be cheerful with him, Kristoff had been nothing but short and unsure of Sven’s friendliness.

Anna simply assumed the whole betrayal thing that happened between the two might play a part in it. She honestly couldn’t blame him for being so unsure of her brother’s actions, he had played him once before. Trusting her brother was no easy task.

Nor was it that his manners were absolutely horrendous.

Though now that she thought about it, he had helped them with their bags onto the boat. Had carried them all to their respected cabins as well, not leaving till he was sure they were all settled in. Well, more her than Sven really.

No, it was none of that though Anna wished it were.

It was because the moment he had come into view at the docks, she had all but gaped at him.

She had been so unsure he would arrive in the first place. After getting him out of the prison, they had gotten him a hotel room. Something she felt they owed him for nearly getting him killed thanks to her brother’s idiocracy.

He, Kristoff, was a man of few words she found. Whether it be because of his unsureness of Sven or what, he barely spoke more than a simple ‘Thank you’ after giving him the key. It had been a small risk, as Sven pointed out, seeing as he could simply up and run with his new found freedom.

But a day later, they received a note from him, giving them a time and place along the docks to meet within two days time.

The man that appeared at the docks, however, was not the one she had expected to see.

No more was the rugged man with a long, unkempt beard or long hair. His hair was cut significantly shorter, pushed back away from his face to show off his brown eyes. His beard was gone, aiding in the disappearance of the ruggedness Anna had seen back within the prison. His rags were now replaced with a new set of travel clothes, along with a holster for his two handguns.

With his one bag slung over his shoulder, eyeing the crowd around him, Anna had to take pause in realizing this was the same Kristoff she had seen not just a few days before.

This new appearance had made Anna blush as he eyed her, hoping to all God’s above he thought she was simply red from the sun.

Anna groaned and covered her face with her book.

She was already embarrassed enough from her...spontaneous reaction at the prison.

Now realizing he was also ridiculously attractive…

And incredibly tall I mean, yeah she was not that tall but the man seemed to loom over her and though at first intimidating, it made her stomach all but flip now at his height advantage of her…

And his eyes, his soft, chocolaty eyes…

And holy wow how were his biceps not ripping his shirt...

Anna sighed in annoyance, leaning her head back in her chair.

It didn’t matter because she was the weird librarian who had kissed the man in excitement without thinking and had completely embarrassed herself to the point of never ever having a chance. And god had Sven given her so much grief for what she did, and now every time she made eye contact with Kristoff she couldn’t help but blush from embarrassment.

“Why?” Anna groaned, staring up at the ceiling above.

“Why what?”

Anna jumped, looking over to find Kristoff holding a rolled up tool belt in his hand and looking at her with a small grimace.

_Speak of the devil._

“Sorry,” he murmured, “Didn’t mean to startle you.” 

Anna sighed, “It’s ok.”

He smiled apologetically at her, and Anna hoped to all the God’s he did not see the small blush rising to her cheeks.

“So, why what?”

“Pardon?”

Kristoff sat the tool set down, “You said why when I walked up?”

“Oh,” Anna said, biting her lip, “I...uh…” She glanced down at her book, “I...just don’t like this particular part of the book.”

“Ah.” Kristoff said with a nod, “bad part?”

“No.” Anna said, closing her book, “More like the main character is acting like a complete idiot.”

Kristoff smirked, unwrapping the tool set. Anna watched him unravel the tool set and upon seeing what was inside, became confused. 

“Um…” Anna said, eyebrows furrowing, “did I miss something?”

Kristoff looked up at her.

Before them laid a multitude of different handguns, ammunition and a few knives tucked away for safekeeping, all sitting in their own designated spot within the leather holder.

Kristoff looked back down at his set and began to select certain parts within it, checking some and adding others to his holster or pockets. “What do you mean?”

“We are going to the lost city yes?”

“Yes.” 

“So, why are you preparing as though we are going off to battle?”

Kristoff paused in adding a bullet into his handgun, looking away from his work and Anna could see his eyes become distant for a brief second. Then he sighed, continuing to load his weapon, “There is something out there. Something underneath the sand.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“What, is there a swarm of scorpions hidden beneath the city?”

“What? No.”

“Oh, then a cave full of snakes then?”

“No.” Kristoff replied, a hint of frustration in his voice.

“Then what could lie beneath the sand that has you loading and preparing yourself to fight an army.”

Kristoff paused briefly once more, “Look, um..lady” he said after a moment.

“It’s Anna.”

“Right, Anna.” he sighed, and got back to loading his weapons, “I don’t...I don’t expect you to understand or believe me but just...trust me on this.” He added the last bullet into the chamber, gave it a quick spin then clicked it into place and back into his holster. “We are going to need these.”

Anna eyed him, holding back the quick retort that sat at the tip of her tongue. She knew Hamunaptra to be nothing but a lost city, most likely half buried in the sand. But she had never been there, had never seen it, had only heard such from books and legends.

Kristoff, however, had witnessed it first hand (or so he claimed). She wanted to be skeptical, but the seriousness in his tone, the look in his eyes made her think otherwise.

She simply nodded, gripping her book a bit tighter.

“Well,” she said after a moment, “as long as we find what I am looking for--”

“And what is that exactly?”

“Well, for my brother, he thinks it’s treasure.”

“Not surprised.”

“But I am looking for a book.”

“A book?”

“Yes, a special book.” Anna said with a grin, a bit of excitement coming to her, “The Book of Amun-Ra.”

Kristoff looked down at her, a smirk on his lips. “The Book of Amun-Ra?” 

“Yes!” Anna said excitedly, “It contains all the secret incantations of the old kingdom. It’s something our parents used to talk about all the time. It’s what really got me interested in Egypt really. It’s kind of become a dream of mind to find it.”

“And the fact that it’s made entirely of solid gold doesn’t interest you at all?”

“Don’t mention that too loudly or you’ll get my brother riled up.” Anna huffed a laugh, “But no, not for me at least. I’ve always been more interested with what’s inside it more than anything.” She smirked at him, “I see you know your history then.”

Kristoff began to carefully roll the leather tool set back up, “I know my treasure.”

“Ah,” Anna said, “you sound like my brother.”

He tied the string around the leather belt, “Should I take that as an insult?”

Anna giggled, “No, Sven’s a good man I promise.”

“Funny way to show that.”

“Well, most of the time he is. When it doesn’t involved treasure...or money...or…” Anna blinked, “Ok, sometimes he is a good person. He just has his moments.”

Kristoff huffed a laugh, putting the set under his arm. “Right, I’m sure he does. I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“You might be waiting a bit.”

He chuckled at that, bringing a smile to Anna’s face. He nodded, turning to leave but there was one more thing that was nagging her, “Kristoff?” 

He paused, “Yeah?” 

“Um,” Anna gulped, she needed to clear the air. “I...uh...about the prison..” 

“What about it?” 

“Well,” she bit her lip looking down, “not really the prison, but...what happened at the prison..” 

“What do you...oh... _oh._ ”

Anna felt the heat coming to her cheeks, and forced herself to look up at him. He was awkwardly rubbing his neck, looking anywhere but her. 

“I’m...I’m sorry. I was impulsive and didn’t mean to. I just got so, so, _so_ excited about you saying yes and I don’t know what came over me but it was an accident and I’m so sorry. I probably made it so awkward and you probably feel just as awkward as I do and I just want to apologize because that was so rash and--” 

“Hey, Anna, look,” Kristoff cut in, Anna noticing the slightest bit of red on his cheeks. “I um..It’s ok. If you want, we can just pretend it never happened?”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah...never happened.” 

“Oh,” Anna said, nodding, “yes, never happened. Good...ok, yeah.”

Kristoff gave a soft smile, nodding to her “Well, see you at breakfast.” And turned towards the cabins.

“Night!” Anna called, biting her lip as he walked off. As he disappeared from view, Anna wondered why at his claim to act as though the kiss had never happened had caused her to feel a slight twinge of disappointment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is legit no excuse for this taking so long to update...it's been over a year. Just lost all motivation and spark to write tbh. Sorry y'all! Hopefully this gets me back into the groove.


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